# Learning MOO Programming

Adam Summers (kephren@skylink.net)
Fri, 3 May 1996 07:11:45 PDT

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    On Fri, 3 May 1996, Rich Connamacher wrote:

    > One thing I would suggest is, instead of going from programmer to wizard,
    > create an intermediate step called, say, 'Sage'.  The sage has some
    > wizard powers on the moo and in programming, but not all of them, and is
    > handled entirely in-database.  Sages won't be able to override the #0:bf_
    > wrappers, won't be able to alter $server_options, etc, but will be able
    > to do some other things, that are more than a simple programmer can do.  You
    > could even give them permissions on builtin functions by rewriting the
    > #0:bf_ wrappers, if you so wanted.  Why is this a good idea?
    >
    > 1) No need to make the requirements to get a wiz bit readable by newbie
    > programmers, since by the time they get a sage bit and are ready to shoot
    > for the full wizard bit, they will already have advanced programmer skills.
    >
    > 2) It's a very far jump from a programmer to a wizard.

    This especially is a major concern of mine.  Especially for new players.

    >
    > 3) It'd let you have more control over what graduates from the programmer
    > level can do
    >
    > 4) Cuz it's MY idea, goddammit! :-)
    >
    > This idea could be extended, and you could make as many levels as you
    > want, as long as each level progressively gets more abilities and more
    > responsilities to go along with them.  You could, say, have the levels
    > "Builder" (simple building, describing, digging, messaging, etc),
    > "Programmer" (simple programming, creating simple emotes and features,
    > and then some more complicated VR elements), "Core Hacker" (programming
    > more central elements to the VR, like player classes, hacking with other
    > core features), "Sage" (perhaps the most difficult programming level,
    > with even more low level design), and then "Wizard" (a more
    > maintainance-driven level than programming-driven level).

    Actually, this is very close among my line of thinking.  Here are the
    reasons.  The administrative wizards, that is, the wizards who will
    actually be reviewing work, will have smaller chunks to review in order
    to 'graduate' a player from one level to the next.  Also, this would make
    the leap from builder to wizard seem a little more attainable to a
    player.  Obviously we don't go straight from 1st grade to graduate
    school.  I am hoping to have many smaller more simple levels that players
    can work on at their leisure.

    >
    > Keep in mind that programming can actually be a fairly minor part of
    > wizardhood, although an understanding of it is obviously a must.  If your
    > MOO is to prepare people for wizard status, than you might want to touch
    > up on other issues facing wizards than simply the ability to whip up a
    > cool gif2ascii converter in MOO-code in T-minus 12 minutes.
    >
    > Phantom
    >

    Thanks for the suggestions.

    Adam Summers (Kephren)